Died On This Date (February 26, 2011) Mark Tulin / Bassist For The Electric Prunes & Smashing Pumpkins
themusicsover Mark Tulin
November 21, 1948 – February 26, 2011
Mark Tulin is best remembered as the bassist for influential ’60s garage psych band, the Electric Prunes. Formed in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California in 1965, the band churned out several era-defining songs including “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” “Get Me To The World On Time,” and “Kyrie Eleison/Mardi Gras (When the Saints),” which was prominently featured in the iconic film, Easy Rider. Tulin was active in the group from its inception until 1968 and then for a reunited configuration from 2001 until his passing. In 2009, he was asked by Billy Corgan to join Smashing Pumpkins, first in the studio for the recording of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, and later to fill in on a few live dates. Tulin also joined Corgan in his Sky Saxon tribute band, Spirits In The Sky, which included Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction. Toward the end of 2010, he was back in the studio working on a new album with the Electric Prunes. On February 26, 2011, while volunteering with an underwater clean-up on Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles, 62-year-old Mark Tulin collapsed and died. Cause of death was not immediately released.
What You Should Own
Diane Izzo was a respected Chicago-raised singer-songwriter who, upon the release of her 1999 debut, One, was called one of the best to come out of that city in recent years. She never released another album, but left behind several worth in unreleased songs. On February 25, 2011, Diane Izzo passed away after a brave battle with cancer. She was 43.
Eddie Serrato was the original drummer for the legendary Michigan garage band, ? and the Mysterians. It is he you can hear playing on their classic hit, “96 Tears.” Formed when Serrato was recruited from a local Mexican band in 1962, ? and the Mysterians went on to be called by some as the world’s first punk band – if not exactly that, they were without a doubt one of the first Latin rock bands to score a #1 pop hit in America. The success of that record – which has been covered live or recorded by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Iggy Pop, Garland Jeffreys, and Aretha Franklin – was enough to get the band a nationally televised performance on American Bandstand. The group released several more moderately successful records throughout the rest of the ’60s, many of which were co-written by Serrato. He left the band 1968, with ? and various configurations of the Mysterians, both with and without him, continuing to perform well into the 2000s. Serrato himself went on to produce Tejano music during the latter part of his life. On February 24, 2011, Eddie Serrato died of a heart attack at a local hospital where he had been recuperating from an undisclosed surgery. He was 65.
Terry Clements is perhaps best remembered as the longtime guitarist for folk legend, Gordon Lightfoot. He joined up with Lightfoot in 1970 and continued to play with him for some 40 years. Clements was just five years old when he picked up the guitar, and over the years his playing would be influenced by the likes of Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, and Dick Dale. After high school, he served in the US Navy for a couple of years and then returned to his music career, first playing with Golden Sunflower while working as a session player for Lou Adler, and later joining forces with Lightfoot with whom he stayed until the final years of his life. Terry Clements was 63 when he died on February 20, 2011. The cause was attributed to a stroke he had recently suffered.
Rick Kulwicki is best remembered as a guitarist for Denver, Colorado punk band, the Fluid. Formed in 1984 out of the ashes of Madhouse, the Fluid went on to release a handful of albums for Rayon, Glitterhouse, Hollywood and most notably, Sub Pop Records. They have the distinction of being the first non-Seattle band signed to that revered label. The band broke up in 1993 and reunited in 2008. All the while, Kulwicki was a constant and respected player throughout the vibrant Denver rock scene. He was most recently a member of the Buckingham Squares. Rick Kulwicki was 49 when he passed away on February 15, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.